Testimonial of an Armenian

            Over two years ago, in November of 2011,  I attended a dance sponsored by the Armenian Church @ Hye Pointe in Haverhill, MA.  It was one of dozens of picnics, dances, and cultural events I attend each year in support of all of our Armenian communities throughout New England.   Although it was a great night with over 200 guests and terrific music, something just wasn’t right for me.

            It was a simple thing.  Once again, I was missing many of my Armenian Brothers and Sisters.  They just weren’t there!  It was a feeling I had many times before, but tonight, it just stuck in my gut.  I just couldn’t understand why we didn’t support one another regardless of what Church we belonged too.  After all, ‘we are all Armenians, and yes, we are all Brothers and Sisters’, I thought to myself.

            What was this thing?  What was this culture that suggested if you go to one Church, then you support your Church and only your Church?  However accurate or inaccurate that feeling was, that was the feeling I had for some 5 decades.  You see, I will be 65 years old in January, and as a teenager and a member of the AYF, I began to recognize that there were many Armenians I didn’t really know on the other side of town.  By that I mean, those who attended the Holy Cross Armenian Church in Lawrence, MA.

            Imagine feeling that way for over 50 years.  How did this happen, and why were we doing this to ourselves?  Were we really the first nation to adopt Christianity?  As troubling as it was, I didn’t know how to change it?  I felt like I was missing something, and I was.  Each of them!  Each of you!

            So in November of 2011, at that Hye Pointe dance I spoke of, it came to me how to change this culture.  I instantly knew what needed to be done to bring our Armenian friends in the Merrimack Valley together.

            You see, I am a musician, and our Armenian music has no boundaries.  I’ve  performed at weddings, dances, and virtually any kind of function that Armenian music was welcomed..  It didn’t matter what Church you belonged to, they just wanted good old Armenian music. 

            That’s how it happened!  That’s how on October 19^th , 2013, the ‘Armenian Friends of the America’ sponsored ‘Hye Kef 5’, a 5 hour dance at which all the Armenian  communities of the Merrimack Valley gathered together as one, to celebrate our culture and support each other as we always should have, and as we shall from that date forward.  Four hundred people attended and by any standard, this gathering was a huge success.   

            The Knights of Vartan played a significant roll on that evening. Our organizing committee included Asbeds from Ararat Lodge #1-Boston and Arakadz Lodge #35-North Andover.  At both the local and national level, the Knights embraced our event and became the largest contributor to our Ad Book effort.  In addition, many Knights were in attendance, including members of both local Tivans as well as individuals from the national leadership.  My sincere appreciation goes out to the Knights of Vartan for their support.

            As a result of our efforts, the Armenian Friends of America, Inc. was able to donate $1,300.00 to each of the four Armenian Churches within the Merrimack Valley.           

            On a personnel note, the friendships that were made, and the friendships that were renewed during this journey have filled a void in my heart.  I know that for each of you, a few steps have been taken to fill that void as well.  Someone’s Ad in our Ad book stated:  ‘Let the Merrimack Valley lead the way’.  I truly hope this is the case, and that other communities who have known that feeling take similar steps to fill the void.

John Arzigian, Chairman

The Armenian Friends of America, Inc.